This is a city whose local paper’s letters page is routinely filled with people whinging about roadworks, litter collection, derelict buildings, regeneration, crime, public transport — all of which are the responsibility of the city council to a greater or lesser extent. So when they have an opportunity to do anything about it, do they take advantage? No.

15th May 2008

Extracts from Network Rail’s log from Manchester Piccadilly station last night (reposted from here):-

14/05

2200

NR

Call received from the TPE station staff at Manchester Piccadilly advising that football supporters are walking on the track on platforms 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14, train running stopped, BTP are in attendance, but the large volume of passengers is growing.

14/05

2242

NR

Station Manager at Manchester Piccadilly advises Platform 13 & 14 are now closed due to disorder, Station staff have withdrawn from the platform.

14/05

2245

NR

BT Police Control Sergeant informed of events and that the station staff are afraid to leave their office, will arrange for officers to accompany the station staff to despatch trains they also reported that GM Police are sending a Tactical Support Group to the station to assist BT Police in gaining control.

14/05

2304

NR

Northern Trains Station Manager contacted and informs that the BT Poice have just arrived to accompany the station staff on their duties, also reported that several members of Northern Trains station staff have been assaulted. TPE Control Manager also reports that they have had their Operations Manager assaulted on the platform. Network Rail station manager informs no reported injuries to Network Rail employee’s.

15/05

0015

NR

1N71 2247 Manchester Airport – Blackpool North has been stood at Manchester Oxford Road station as the guard is unable to leave his cab and passengers are holding the doors open, passengers have attempted to drag the driver out of the window he is now secure and no injuries have been reported. Six BT Police officers are on the station but can not make their way through to the train.

15/05

0021

NR

Northern Trains inform that 2D48 2309 Manchester Picc – Chester is cancelled after the passengers started vandalising units 142061 & 142026, the guard has left the train and the driver alighted via the window as passengers would not let him leave by the door. Train cancelled.

15/05

0045

NR

Northern Trains inform 323235 has had a door badly damaged by passengers at Manchester Piccadilly (working additional service 2T11 2340 Manchester Picc – Manchester Airport), unit taken out of service. 142014 various windows smashed at Manchester Piccadilly station – taken out of service.

And there’s nobody to blame but pissed up football “fans” and a culture that indulges them.

Cyprus voting for Greece has been a running joke for years. However, the new claim is that the former Soviet and Balkan states, who have joined the contest relatively recently, are unfairly advantaged by the voting system. Both Italy and Austria have pulled out of the contest in recent years in protest at this state of affairs.

But is it true? I took the Results table at Wikipedia, pasted it into Excel (and you would not believe how problematic that simple task was) and did some playing around.

30th May 2008

With all the excitement(?) recently, I haven’t even had time to expound on the excellence The Colbert Report, which has been running on FX UK since the beginning of May.

I could explain about the incredibly clever humour, the smart satire or Colbert himself — who has taken what could have been a gimmicky concept and created a complex, three-dimensional character. But I’m lazy, so here’s some clips:-

You could check out this clip, one of the first episodes that FX broadcast here, and containing a joke about Donkey Kong which won me over instantly.

Or this one, where Colbert manages to successfully spoof something which is already completely ridiculous.